Ferguson officer 'feared for life'

The police officer who fatally shot an unarmed 18-year-old in the US over the summer has claimed he was in fear of his life, it has been reported.

The New York Times says that Darren Wilson has told investigators that he was pinned in his vehicle during a struggle over his gun in the incident in a St Louis suburb.

The newspaper reports that the Ferguson, Missouri, officer has told authorities that Michael Brown reached for the gun during a scuffle.

The Times reports that the officer’s account to authorities did not explain why he fired at Mr Brown multiple times after emerging from his vehicle.

According to the newspaper, the account of the officer’s version of events came from government officials briefed on the federal civil rights investigation into the August 9 shooting.

Racial unrest and weeks of protests followed Mr Brown’s death.